Law and reality in publishing (seldom the same thing) from the author's side of the slush pile, with occasional forays into politics, military affairs, censorship and the First Amendment, legal theory, and anything else that strikes me as interesting.

18 January 2011

First Day of Spring (Semester) Link Sausages

More minor Life and health stuff for the past few days (which never seems minor while going through it), plus the holiday yesterday (one of the few I respect), so this isn't an especially large platter of link sausages. Nonetheless:

There is a cultural elite, in America, which tries its utmost to manipulate the habits and tastes of consumers. It consists of the corporations who sell nearly everything with the possible exception of classical music and conceptual arts, and while its methods include some of the publicity-driven hype that finds its way into newspapers, magazines and other traditional media, its main tool is not criticism but marketing.

(emphasis in original) he ultimately misses the point of criticism, theory, and virtually all other conversation about individual works of art (in any medium). Art is, at its core, about communication; and what criticism, theory, and the rest of the conversation ultimately do is provide feedback to the artist(s). It's often unwelcome feedback; but, more importantly, observing the feedback offered to Artist A for Work A' helps Artist B, in the throes of creating Work B', work in the negative spaces of Work B' (cutting away the parts of the slab of rock that don't look like the intended sculpture). In that sense, criticism and theory are an artist's means of time travel and a way of avoiding obvious mistakes made by others.

First it's a bowdlerized Huck Finn (and remember, the new president is a n!). Now it's a classic Dire Straits song. Guys, there's a difference between use of "offensive words" in direct discourse and by less-than-admirable/self-aware/postmodernhipster characters in works of fiction. But don't tell antiintellectuals like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp (and, for that matter, Sarah Palin) and other celebrants of the blue-collar bottom third of the public high school class as the only Real Americans.

The Fine Print

Ritual disclaimer: This blog contains legal commentary, but it is only general commentary. It does not constitute legal advice for your situation. It does not create an attorney-client relationship or any other expectation of confidentiality, nor is it an offer of representation.

I approve of no advertising appearing on or through syndication for anything other than the syndication itself; any such advertising violates the limited reuse license implied by voluntarily including syndication code on this blawg, and I do not approve aggregators and syndicators whose page design reflects only an intent to use the reference(s) to this blawg without actually providing the content from this blawg.

Internet link sausages, as frequently appear here, are gathered from uninspected meaty internet products and byproducts via processes you really, really don't want to observe; spiced with my own secret, snarky, sarcastic blend; quite possibly extended with sawdust or other indigestibles; and stuffed into your monitor (instead of either real or artificial casings). They're sort of like "link salad" or "pot pourri" or "miscellaneous musings" (or, for that matter, "making law"), but far more disturbing.

I am not responsible for any changes to your lipid counts or blood pressure from consuming these sausages... nor for your monitor if you insist on covering them with mash or sauce.

Blog Archive

Warped Weft

Now live at the new site. I have arranged some of the more infamous threads that have appeared here by unravelling them from the blawg tapestry (and hopefully eliminating some of the sillier typos). Sometimes, the threads have been slightly reordered for clarity.

Other Blawgs, Blogs, and Journals

These may be of interest; I do not necessarily agree with opinions expressed in them, although the reasoning and writing are almost always first-rate (and represent a standard seldom, if ever, achieved in "mainstream" journalism). I'm picky, and have eclectic tastes, so don't expect a comprehensive listing.

How Appealing is aimed at appellate lawyers and legal news in general. If you care about the state of the law, start here — Howard's commentary is far better balanced, better informed, and better considered than any of the media outlets. To concentrate on the US Supreme Court, don't forget SCOTUSBlog.

Some academics' blawgs with a variety of political (and doctrinal) viewpoints:

The main European IP blawg of interest remains the UK-based IPKat, on a variety of intellectual property issues, with some overlap (with a less Eurocentric view) at IPFinance

The American Constitution Society blawg is a purportedly "liberal" counterweight to the so-called "Federalist Society" (which, despite its claims, should be called "Tory Society") that has yet to establish much coherence... but maybe that's all to the good.

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